I was delighted to spend the day with the crew based at Fareham fire station. I took part in the Fire Fighters’ normal day, starting at 0900hrs, following equipment checks, with operational effectiveness training and community safety activities, and discussed local and national challenges facing the service with Hampshire Chief Officer Curry and Station Commander Danny Miles.
Fire Fighters respond to various emergencies as and when needed in and around Fareham and if needed support other stations around Hampshire.
I took part in many activities including entering the special fire fighter training facility. I had to wear full protection including breathing equipment in an adapted house in which the fire crew simulated a fire, enabling them to train in a controlled environment. In addition to this the station has a simulated car crash site for rescue training purposes. I witnessed the skill and patience it takes for the Fire Fighters to learn to free trapped casualties of road traffic accidents.
Fareham fire station is a 24/7 whole time fire station, which houses two front line fire appliances, and 3 specialist response vehicles. There are 28 personnel on a 4 watch duty system with 7 firefighters on each watch. In addition Fareham also has a Retained Duty System with approximately 15 firefighter, who respond to emergencies on a pager system from their normal place of work or home. There is a Business Fire Safety department too, that assists local business with fire safety and business continuity plans.
Portchester is the second of the fire stations, and is crewed solely by Retained Duty System personnel, meaning that crews respond form work or home should they be needed. Portchester houses one front line fire appliance and specialist response appliance.
I am grateful to the Fire service for hosting me. The quality of training and dedication by the crew is exceptional. Their job is one that requires high levels of commitment both physically and mentally and they carry out their duties with much care for the Fareham community.
Reform in Hampshire and consultation
My visit coincides with radical proposals to transform the way the police, fire and rescue and ambulance services work together unveiled by the Prime Minister Friday, 11 September.
The Government has already invested over £70 million in collaboration projects and local areas have shown the benefits of joint-working between the emergency services – but there is more to be done to improve the way they serve communities, save lives and provide value for money for taxpayers.
The measures included in a consultation paper published are:
- Encouraging collaboration by introducing a new statutory duty on all three emergency services to look at opportunities to work with one another better to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Enabling police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to take on the duties and responsibilities of fire and rescue authorities (FRAs), where a local case is made.
- Where a PCC takes on the responsibilities of a FRA, allowing them to create a single employer for police and fire staff so it is easier for them to share back office functions and streamline management.
- Enabling a PCC to be represented on their local FRA in areas where they do not take on the responsibility for fire and rescue services.
Of note is that the proposals do not alter the important distinction between operational policing and firefighting. The law preventing a member of a police force from being a firefighter will remain in place and there is no intention to give firefighters the power of arrest. Central government funding for the two organisations will continue to remain separate, as will council tax precepts, maintaining transparency for local taxpayers about how their taxes are spent on local services.
‘Having visited all 3 emergency services this summer, I have seen the specialist skills and expertise of our professionals. However, there is a lot of overlap. It doesn’t make sense for emergency services to have different premises, different back offices and different IT systems when their work is so closely related and they often share the same boundaries. I saw how well the police and fire service work well together, and with better joint staffing, the emergency services can only be strengthened. So far, Hampshire Fire and Rescue have merged back office functions with Hampshire Constabulary and Hampshire County Council, co-located with local police teams at fire stations around the county. A joint fire and police headquarters is also being created, with police staff moving to the fire service’s base in Eastleigh later this year.
This is about smarter working, reducing the cost of back office functions and freeing up the time of front-line staff. Moreover, with the number of fires continuing to fall each year (down by approximately 30% in the last year) , locally-led collaboration across blue light services can benefit everyone by freeing up front-line staff, investing in fire prevention programmes and allowing for faster response times when incidents do occur - saving lives and saving taxpayers’ money. We want to remove any bureaucratic barriers to joint working and allow local leaders to make the arrangements that work best for them. But our first priority will always be public safety and people can be assured that when they call 999 they will get the response they need.”
Hampshire residents are being invited to have their say in shaping the future of their fire service.
Proposals drawn up by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service following a comprehensive review of its services have been approved by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority to go to public consultation. The consultation will formally begin on Monday (14 September). The proposals, which aim to deliver a fire and rescue service fit for the demands of the future, have been carefully considered by the Authority, who now want to hear from the residents of Hampshire.
“There have been a lot of changes in Hampshire over the last decade and so the demand on fire services has also changed. This has affected government funding for Hampshire fire services. I am confident that Hampshire can offer the best fire and rescue service in the country, whilst saving money and resources. Hampshire residents are invited to have their say on the future of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service during this consultation period from 14 September – 4 December. The public will be able to share their thoughts and opinions via an online questionnaire or by attending a public meeting. I urge everyone to take part in this important consultation.”
More details on how to take part will be available on Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s website from 14 September on www.hantsfire.gov.uk/a-safer-hampshire. The questionnaire is being managed by a specialist social research practise company and will be completely confidential.